Illuminated handbag



Dec. 8, 1942. I D. E. WHII'II'ING ETAL 04,

' ILLUMINATED HANDBAG Filed Nov. 2, 1939 G Maw Patented Dec. 8, 1942 um-ran STATES PATENT oralce e g e e si's'mttittarmi Application November 2, 1939, Serial No. 302,486 2 Claims. (cam-e45) This invention relates to hand bags such as ladies handbags, overnight bags, valises, etc.. and

has for a particular object to provide an improved means for illuminating the contents of the bag which will not modify the design of the bag and so detract from styling or appearance, and in which the illuminating means is all contained in one unit which can be applied. removed and renewed as such, thus greatly simplifying the construction and in no way interfering with the use of thebag for its regular functions.

It. is also an object to provide such a device which will automatically illuminate the whole interior of the bag enabling one to find the objects within the bag without blind fumbling.

with the foregoing and other objects in view we have devised an improved construction, two embodiments of which are fll'ustrated in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification. but it is to be understood that we are not limited to the specific details shown but may employ various changes and modifications within the scope of the invention.

In this drawing: 7

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a lady's handbag of the common construction comprising two pivoted frame members and showing it in the open position with our improved illuminating device applied thereto:

Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the upper part of the bag of Fig. 1 on an enlarged scale and showing the 'bag closed;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the body portion of the illuminating unit and with the cover portion removed;

Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 are perspective views of connecting elements for closing the circuit between the batteries and the lamp bulb;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view, with a part of the front wall broken away, of a handbag showing how our device may be applied to the bag usingthe slide fastener or "zipper" type of fastener;

Fig. 9 is a plan view of the illuminating unit employed in the bag of Fig. 8 with the cover removed;

Fig. 10 is a top plan view of the lighting unit used in Fig. 8; and

Figs. 11 to 14 are perspective views of various electrlcal'parts used to complete the circuitbetween the batteries and the lamp.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 7 the bagcomprises side members I and 2 of suitable flexible material such as leather, cloth, etc, and is usually provided with a finishing lining 3 for each side wall At their upper edges these side walls are conwith a ing by nected to suitable rigid frame members 4 and 5 of metal or other suitable materials. These frames are usually of substantially inverted U- shape and the free ends of the leg portions are hinged together at 6. These frame members also have a releasable hand catch comprising separable members 1 and 8 mounted on the respective framemembers.

Our improved lighting device is mounted as a unit in a pocket construction Ii mounted on the inner side of one side wall. In the present case it is shown as mounted on the inner side ofthe side wall 2 adjacent the top thereof and may be secured to the side wall or the lining thereof. In the present case a stiffening and mounting member 9 is mounted between the lining 3 and the side wall 2 and connected .at ,its upper edge to the frame 5 at It as shown in 2. The pocket construction indicated as a whole at H comprises a rear wall l2, afront wall l3, end walls II, and a bottom wall I 5 leaving the pocket open at the top. It may be mounted on the wall of the bag by any suitable means such for example as rivets I la. The rear wall I2 is extended over this top to provide a closing flap l6 which may be held in closed position by suitable snap fasteners l1 carried by this fiap and the front wall I 3. It is preferablymade of flexible collapsible material such as leather or cloth.

The lighting unit may be assembled complete outside the bag and may be mounted therein by merely inserting it in the pocket II in which it is eiiectively held in the proper position. The pocket is made of a size to fit the unit so the unit is positively held in the proper position for best operation and no other securing or mounting means for the unit is required. This unit as shown more clearly in Figs. 2 and 3 preferably comprises a casing of molded insulating material such for example as Bakelite or similar material, and comprises a body it and a cover It. The body may include a partition or wall 20 carrying a socket 2| for the lamp bulb 22 and also carrying combined clips and clamping mem-' bers 23 and 24 for holding the batteries 25 and forming electrical connections between these batteriesand the lamp bulb. Thus the member 23 comprises an arm 28 enga ing the central contact 21 of the lamp and connected with an end wall 28 eng ging one contact of the lower battery 25. these members 28 and 28 being integral base 29 connected to the wall of the casrivets 30. The'member 24 comprises an en}? wall 3| engaging the central con act of the 0 er battery 25 and another end wall. 32 ena base 38 riveted to the casing as shown'at 89 58 at 52a and has a base member 52 engaging -.the socket 2|. The other arm 60 engages the and has an ear 40 engaging the other end of the upper battery 25.' It also has a laterally extending ear 4| forming one member of the control switch as will presently be described. The other member of this switch comprises a spring arm 42 riveted to the casing at 43 and having an extension 44 en aging the socket 2| of the lamp. It will be evident that when the arm 42 engages the contact 4| the circuit is closed through the lamp as shown at 45 to bring the upper end of this arm between the two frames 4- and 5, or that is,

into the path of movement of the frame 4 when the bag is closed. As will be seen from Fig. 2 the parts are so arranged that when the bag is closed and the two frames are brought together the frame 4 will engage the offset extension 45 and move the arm 42 away from engagement with the edge of the lug 4| thus opening the circuit through the lamp bulb and conserving the bat-' teries when the bag is closed. When. however, the bag is open and the frames 4 and are separated the resiliency of the spring arm 42 will move it' to engagement with the contact 4| as the pressure of the frame 4 is removed thus causing the. spring arm to automatically close the circuit through the lamp bulb and illuminate the interior of the bag. The top wall of the flap I6 is provided with an opening 46 for passage of this arm 42. Also, the lower wall of the pocket is provided with an opening 41 in alignment with the bulb 22, and preferably the bulb projects partly through this opening so as to effectively illuminate the entire space within the bag. It

- is preferred that the walls of the body of the casing be extended and curved as shown at 48 to partly enclose and thus protect the lamp bulb, the bulb of course projecting through or being in alignment with a suitable opening in this wall. The open side of the body is closed by a cover It.

In the form shown in Figs. 8 to 14 the general construction and arrangement is similar to that of Figs. 1 to 7, but it is modified somewhat because it is used with a difi'erent type of closure or fastening means for the bag. In this case the bag comprises the flexible side walls 49 and 50 of suitable flexible material as leather, cloth, etc., and the upper edges are connected by a slide fastener or zipper type of fastening means comprising as is well known a series of interlocking elements 5| secured along the upper edges of the twoside walls, and which interlocking elements are interlocked and released by a slide fastener 52 which is slid back and forth longitudinally of the side edges by any suitable means, such as a hand tab 53. As in the first form our improved illuminating device is mounted on the inner side of one of the side walls of the bag, in this case the rear wall 50, and it comprises the pocket member secured to this wall in any suitable manner.

The same type of illuminating unit may be used but in the present illustration is shown a slightly modified construction. It comprises a casing of molded insulating material including the body 54 and the slidable cover 55, the lamp socket 2| mounted in the wall 56 and the batteries 25 are mounted by the clips and conductor elements 51, 58 and 59. The element 51 is riveted to the wall bulb. At its upper end the arm 42 is offset central contact of the lower battery 25. At the other end the spring contact 58 has two curved resilient portions 5| engaging the ends of the two batteries and is riveted to the casing at 52. The other end of the upper battery 25 engages an offset 63 in the member 59 which is riveted to the casing at 54 and has an arm 55 extending along the top wall of the body and riveted thereto at 66. In this tbp wall is an inclined slot 51, and the edgeof the arm 55 is in alignment with this slot at its free end. Mounted on the wall of the casing at 58 is a contact 69 having lug l0 engaging the center contact ll of the lamp bulb 22. Pivoted on the member 69 at 12 is a switch arm 13 which projects through the slot 51 in the top wall of the casing and through an opening in the closing flap I6 of the pocket II where it is connected by any suitable flexible means,

such as the chain 14, to the side 52 of the fastener. This flexible connection is so proportioned that when this slide 52 is moved to open or unfasten the bag, in this case moved to the right as shown in Fig. 8, as the slide reaches its extreme right hand movement it pulls the switch arm 13 to the right and into engagement with contact arm 55, thus closing the circuit to light the bulb and illuminate the interior of the bag. When the slide 52 is moved in the opposite di rection to close the bag it will pull the member 13 in the opposite direction to open the circuit. Thus when the bag is opened its contents are fully illuminated and when the bag is closed the light is turned off to conserve the battery.

It will be evident from the above that this device provides automatic illumination of the whole interior of the bag enabling one to find objects within the bag without blind fumbling. Also. that the lighting unit' being complete in itself it may be easily detached for use as an ordinary flashlight, and it can be easily and inexpensively refilled with batteries and bulbs already on the market as standard batteries and bulbs are used. The lighting device can be easily and inexpensively attached to the bag and does not detract from the styling or appearance of the bag in any way. As the interior of the bag is fully illuminated all articles may be easily located at all times in darkened places giving illumination for finding keys and other articles. It also gives sufficient illumination for make-up purposes in darkened places, and for locating keyholes and the like.

Having thus set forth the nature of our invention, what we claim is:

1. A handbag comprising side walls connected at their upper edges by a fastening comprising a series of interlocking members on the respective sides and interlocked and released bya longitudinally movable slide, a pocket member mounted on the inner side of a side wall adjacent the top thereof, said pocket having an open top with a closing flap extending over the same having a slot therein, a flashlight assembly in the pocket including a casing enclosing batteries, a lamp bulb carried by the casing, connections from the batteries to the bulb including a control switch comprising a. stationary member and a pivoted lever projecting through the slot in the flap and movable to and. from engagement with the plate to close and open the circuit to the bulb, ,a connection from. the lever to the slide to operate said lever to close and open the switch as the slide is moved to release and close the fastening respectively, and. said pocket having an opening in the contents oi the bag.

2 A hendbegcomprising side walls connected at their upper edges by a fastening comprising a. series of interlocking members on the respective sides and interlocked and released by a longitudinally movable slide, a flashlight unit mounted on the inner side of one side wall including a alignment with the bulb to permit illumination of bulb to illuminate the contents of the bag, bat- I teries, and connections from the batteries to the bulb including a control switch having a movable operating arm, and a flexible connection from the slide to said arm to shift said am to close and open the switch as the slide is shiited to release and close the fastening respectively.

DOROTHY E. WHITING. WILLIAM B. BANDERSON. 

